Apparatus for removing electric-light bulbs.



No. 675,640. v Patented lune 4, |90I.

F. H. RENARD.

APPARATUS FOR REMUVING ELECTRIC LIGHT BULBS.

(Application fired .Im 2, 1901.)

No Model.)

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERCK H'. RENARD, OF VILKESBARRE, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING ELECTRIIGQUGHT BULBS.,

SPECIFBGTION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 675,640, dated June 4, 1901. Application `filed January 2, 1901. Serial No. l111,860. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that l, FREDERICK H. RENARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilkesbarre, in the county oLnzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Removing Electric-Light Bulbs; and Ido herebydeclare the following to be a fnlLcle'ar, and exact description of. the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My invention relates to improvements in., apparatus for removing electric-light bulbs; I

and it consists in a'pole or 'handle'p'ortion, an arm adjustabiy secured thereto, gearing carried by the said arm,n1eans for grasping the bulb of an incandescent electric light, and means .for rotating the saidgearingwhereby the bulb may beunscrewed from its socket or screwed. into the same. j

It further consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the' accompanying drawings, 'Figure lis a sidel elevation of my improved apparatus for removing or replacing electric-light bulbs, a portion of the same being broken away. Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of the upper en d of said apparatus, the parts being adjusted to grip a bulb arranged at a different angle vfrom the one gripped by the device Vation of the handle or .pole with its telescoping sections arranged within one another. Fig. 4 is a' detail view of an adjusting-plate for regulating the tension of the cable or rope employed in operating the gearing of the said apparatus. Fig.` 5 is a detail sectional view through a dummy bulb and a portion of a lamp-socket, showing the means of removing a lamp where the globe or bulb has been broken. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view showing the snap-hook connection between sections of the operating cable or belt.

In the use of electric lights, particularly the incandescent bulb lights, the said bulbs are arranged in very many diierent positions and at such dierentheights that it is often very difficult to reach or get at bulbs which have been burned out or broken or which need replacing for any reason. l have devised the Fig., 3 is a detail side ele,

plan of using a pole or handle of suitable length provided with means by which a bulb may be grasped, no matter what the position or angle of `the'. said bulb, and. may be unscrewed and a new one inserted in its place.

In embodying my invention in a practical `form l employ a suitable handle, as 1, to the upperend of ,which is adj ustably secured an arm2, which is preferably formed with its outer-end 3 bentat right anglesto main stem thereof. The handle l. when the lights to be reached are .only at a moderate height may be formedof an ordinary bamboo pole or similar material-g' but l preferably make the said handle. et .ai-series of teleseoping sections, as 4:4, byl which the handle maybe altered in length t suit the height or position of the diierentl bulbs to be operated upon.' As -shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the sections 4 4 are made of hollow tubing of successivelysmaller diameters, so that all ef the upper sections may be made to telescope within the `,lower section, and means, such as set-screws 5 5, may be employed for holding the sections in diierent adjusted positions and to prevent their slipping. The lower end of each pole- 'section'is slightly larger than the top of the next section below, so that the joints may be made rigid when the pole is extended. The inner end of the lower section 4 is preferably provided with an inwardly-extending cone, as 6, adapted to engage the inner endsef'the telescoping sections and prevent them from droppingtoo far within each other and'within the outer s,\(ac:`t,ior1'.l This cone engages the dierent-sized bores of the said sections, and thereby spaces them properly with respect to each other. Each section d is provided with one or more projections, as .7 7, having guiding eyes or loops S-fortned at their outer ends, adapted to receive and direct the movement of an operating belt or cable 9, as will be hereinafter described.

The arm 2 carries at its outer end an adjustablp arm 10, which is pivotedto the bent end 3 of the said arm 2 and is adapted to be adjusted at diierent angles with respect to the same by means of a set or clamp screw l1, passing through thepivotal points of the said arms. A portion of the arm l0 is bifurcated, as at 12, so that the said arm may inclose the bent end portion 3 of the arm 2..

IOO

The arm is also provided with a bent end 13, sothat by the adjustment of the arm 10 upon its pivotal point the end 13 thereof may be made to coincide with the aXis of the han- 14, which meshes with a beveled gear 15, also pivotally secured upon the end of the arm 13. luto the outer face of the gear 15 are set a series of curved arms 16 16, preferably four in number, which arms arelieXible or are ladapted to spring apart, so that they may be forced upon the globe of' an electric-light lamp. The rods 16v 16 are covered for a greater portion of their length with tubular pieces oi' rubber, as 17 17, so that the said rods will be adapted to more rmly grasp the electric-light bulbs. The outer ends of the rods 16 are preferably curved outwardly, as at 18, so as to be forced upon the said bulbs easily. t By engaging a bulb withthe rods or arms 16 and rotating the gearing carrying the said arms the bulb may be unscrewed from its socket or screwed into ythe same, as desired. f

In order to, actuate the gearing 14 and 15, I preferably forni upon the gear-wheel 14 an adjustable pulley, as 19, which is grooved and adapted to engage one or more belts, as 9. The lower portions of the belt extend downwardly along the handle 1 and engagea groove formed in an operating pulleyv or wheel, as 20, which is secured to the lower end'of the handle. rlhe belt or cable 9 after passing around the pulley 19extends through the guidingeyes 8 8 of the handle-sections and thence around the actuating-pulley 20; The guid- Iing-eyes 8 8 serve to hold the belt 9 in position no matter to what angle the arm 10 is turned. The use of these eyes will be well understood by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings.

I belt 9, I preferably use one, as seen in Fig. 1

ofthe drawings, one end of the belt 9 engaging pue groove upon the pulleys 19 and 20, while the other engages another groove. Each end of the belt is firmlysecured to the pulley by a suitable means, a convenient way being to pass the ends of said belt through an apertti're in the periphery of the pulley, as at 19, knotting Athe said ends to hold them. The ends of the belt are then given several turns around the pulley 19, each in its own groove. Of course I may use a greater number of belts without departing from the lspirit of the invention. The belt 9 is preferably formed'iu sections and is provided at its ends with snaphooks, as 21 21, of any suitable-Construction, so that the length of the belts may be altered -to suit the length of the handle 1. The belts may be made taut by adjusting the pulley 2O t \Vhile I may employ more than one Gren' an adjusting bar or plate 22, which is formed with a series of apertures 23, adapted to engag'e a" hook or projection 24, secured to the lowest handle-section 4. The plate 22 also passes through a guide-clip, as 25, secured to the handle 1 for properly holding it in position. The pulley 2O is pivoted to the upper end of the bar 22.

\Vhen it is desired to tighten the belt, the plate 22 is moved downwardly and the proper aperture is brought into engagement with the hook 24 for securing the said plate in its adj usted position. Anydegree of tightness may thus be secured in the belt or cable. By means of this adjustment the belt can be kept sufficiently tight to prevent its slipping upon the pulleys when operating the gearing.

It very often happens that the glass bulbs of incandescent lights become broken, and in such event the arm 16 could not be well employed for unscrewing the broken lamp. In order to be able to use the apparatus, however, under these conditions, I provide a dummy bulb, as 26, which may be made of wood or any suitable substance and is provided in its end with a recess or socket 27, adapted to fit upon the usual glass shank 28', which is employed in bulb-lamps for holding the carbon filaments in position. Such glass Shanks are usually flat in contour, so that by inclosing the same Within the recess 27 of the dummy bulb 26 the lamp maybe unscrewed, as desired. The bulb 26 lits within the arm 16 in the same manner as the glass bulb of a perfect lamp would. By the use of guidingeyes 8 it does not matter at what angle the arm 10 is turned in order to engage anylamp, since the said eyes will hold the belt tight against the pulley 19 in any of the adjusted positions of the arm 10. screw 11 at the .pivoted connection between the arm 2 and the arm 10 the angle to which the device is adjusted with respect to the handle can be quickly altered and irmly clamped. f

In using the apparatus the handle is adjusted to the length necessary for reaching the lamp to be unscrewed. The fingers or arms 16 are then forced upon the glass bulb of the IOO By using a clamp- IIO .lamp and the pulley 2O is rotated, preferably by'means of a crank-handle 29,secured thereto, and thus through the'agency of the belt or cable 9 will revolve the pulley 19, actuating the gears 14 and 15 and rotating the arms 16 and the lamp grasped within the same.

The curved Aarms 16 16 may be constructed of different sizes to adapt them for gripping bulbs of different sizes. They may be riveted in position in the gear 15, in which case the gear-wheel will be removed when it is desired to use arms for a different-sized bulb, and another gear having the arms of the desired shape and size can be substituted. The arms themselves, however, may be remevably secured to the gear 15, as by screwing them in place, so that the gear need not be removed when changing the arms. In the place of arms l 'also-contemplate employing a suitably-shaped rubber cup, which may be secured to the gear for grasping the bulb of the lamp to be operated upon.

The operation of the Adevice is exceedingly simple, and its adjustmentcan be'readily'effected to suit every circumstance.

lt is sometimes Well to inclose the pulley 19 in a casing, as 30. (Shown in Fig. Zot' the drawings.) When such a casing is used,there is less danger of the belts becoming disengaged from the groove in the periphery of the pulley, especially when the length of the handle is being altered and the length of the belt is being changed.

Having new described my invention, what l-claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Eatent, isfl. An apparatus for screwingor unscrewing electric-light bulbs, comprising a handle, iutermeshing gears mounted on said handle, bulb-engaging means carried by one of said gears, a drum or pulley carried by the other able arm secured theretraan adjustable arm:

carried by said removable arm, means for holding the latter arm at various angles with`V respect 'to the handle, gearing carried by the said adjustable arm,and bulb-engaging meanssecured to the said gearin whereby upon ro" eating the gearing-the bulb 'may be turned for removing or replacing it, substantially as described. 1

4.. lnan apparatus for-removing or replacing bulb-lamps, a handle provided with an end portion bent at an angle to the said han-l dle, an angular arm pivoted to said bent end and adapted to fold upon the' same," a gearwheel carried by the said arm, a second gear- Wheel carried by the said arm vand.meshing` therewith, bulb-gripping means fcarriecl' by the second gear-wheel, and ymeans yfor turning the iirst gear-Wheel,jwherebythe second one will be actuated for screwing or unser-ewing the lamp, substantially as described.

5. fin apparatus for removing er replacing lamp-bulbs, comprising a handle made up of telescoping sections, guiding-eyes secured to the sections of the said handle, gearing mounted upon the handle, belts for operating the said gearing, said belts passing through the guiding-eyes,nieans Jforsecuring the gearing at different angles to the handle, the guiding-eyes holding the belts in proper ren 4erated by the said gearing,

lation thereto, and bulb-gripping means opdescribed.

6. An apparatus for removing or replacing bulb-lamps, comprisinga handle made up of a series of telescoping sections, means in the outer section for spacing the other sections when the handle is in its shortest form, comprising a cone extending into the outer section and adapted to engage the ends of the inner sections, gearing'carried by the said handle, and bulb-grasping means operated by the said gearing, substantially as described.

7. An apparatus for removing or replacing bulb-lamps, comprising a handle formed of a series of telescoping sections, guiding-eyes secured to each' section, gearing carried by the said handle, belts for operating the said gearing, said belts passing through thesaid guiding-eyes, whereby thel belts will be held in proper position with respect to the handle, and bulbgraspingmeansoperated by the said gearing, substantially as described.

8. An apparatus for removing or replacing bulb-lamps, comprising a handle formed of extensible sections, gearing carried by the said handle, belts for operating the said gearing, pulleys at each end of the said handle for receiving the belts, the said belts being formed of detachable sections, means for connecting them together at 'their ends, the structure being such that the length of the belts may be adjusted to correspond with 'the length of the hand1e,and bulb-gras pin g means operated by the said gearing, substantially as described.`

` `9. An. apparatus for removing or replacing bulb-lamps, comprising a handle, a removable arm secured in the upper end thereof having an end portion bent at right angles to the main stem, an angular arm pivoted to theouter end ofthe said bent portion, a portionof the saidy angular arm being bifurcated to fit upon the bent end portionof the said stem, a set or clamp screw' for clamping the angular arm in dibferentpositin's upon the handle, intermeshing gears carried by the said bent arm, andbulb-engaging means carried by one of the said gears, whereby upon rotatingthe gearing the bulb may be revolved, substantially as described.

10. An apparatus for removing or replacing bulb lamps, comprising a handle, gearing mounted near one end thereof', bulb-engaging means. carried by one gear, a. pulley or drum mounted en theother gear, an actuating pulley or drum on the handle near its lower end, belts connecting the actuatingpulley with the gear-pulley, the structure being such that by turning theactuating-pulley the bulb may be revolved through the agency of the pulleys and the said gearing, substantially as described.

l1. An apparatus for removing or replacing bulb-lamps, comprising a handle, gearing carsubstantially as H IOO IIO

ried near one end thereof, bulb-engaging v means operated by the said gearing', a pulley secured to one of the gears of said gearing, an actuating-pulley secured to the handle, belts connecting the two pulleys, an adjusting-plate interposed between the said pulley and the said handle, said plate having a series of apertures formed thereon adapted to be bronghtinto engagement with a projection or hook on the handle, and a guiding-clip for holding the plate in position, the structure being such that by adjusting the said plate the belts connecting the pulleys may b'e made taut so as not to slip, substantially as described; y

12. An apparatus for replacing or removing lamp bulbs, comprising a handle, gearing mounted thereon, a bulb-graspingdevice oon1- prising flexible arms, a dummy bulb-adapted to fit therein and provided with a. recess in its end 'for 4engaging the glass shank of a broken lamp, the structure being such that by inserting the bulb in the grasping-arms and bringing the recess therein in engagement with the glass shank` of the broken lamp, the same may be revolved for unscrewing it, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence oftwo Witnesses.

ANNA WILLIAMS, A. C. CAMPBELL. 

